Drone Project FAQ

A:

• Make sure your batteries are firmly inserted into the battery pack and facing the proper direction.
• Make sure the battery pack is on.
• Double-check all of your twisted wire connections. Loose connections can prevent the motors from spinning.

A: If at least one motor is spinning, then you know your batteries are inserted properly and the battery pack is working. Double-check the twisted wire connections to each individual motor and tighten them as needed.

A: To reverse the direction a propeller spins, reverse the connections for the motor's two wires. This will make current flow through the motor in the opposite direction, causing it to spin the other way.

A: If your drone does not lift off, there are several things you need to check:

• Make sure that you can easily slide the drone up and down the dowels by hand. If you let go of the drone after lifting it, it should fall back to the bottom. If the drone gets stuck:
  • Make sure the wooden dowels are parallel and the spacing between them is even. If the dowels are crooked, this will cause the drone to get stuck.
  • Make sure the two straws that act as guide for the drone are parallel and aligned with the dowels. If the straws are crooked, this can cause the drone to get stuck even if the dowels are parallel.
• Make sure that all four propellers are properly mounted and spinning in the right direction. If you turn the drone on and hold your hand under each propeller, you should feel air blowing down on your hand. If you hold your hand over a propeller and you feel air blowing up, then you either a) have the wires for that motor reversed or b) mixed up the clockwise and counter-clockwise propellers. Revisit the procedure to make sure you have all four motors wired correctly with the correct propeller mounted on each motor.
• Do not use excessive amounts of glue or tape when building your drone. If the drone is too heavy, it will not lift off, even if everything else is built correctly.
• Make sure the wires from the battery pack are free and not getting snagged on anything.
• Make sure the motors are all pointed straight up. This will give your drone maximum lift. If the motors are tilted at an angle, the drone will not have as much lift.

A:

• Just like any other battery-operated device, your drone's batteries will wear out eventually. If your drone seems sluggish or is no longer lifting off, replace the batteries. Note: some off-brand batteries cannot provide enough power for the drone to lift off. We recommend using name-brand batteries.
• Check if the drone has become damaged from repeated use or if your wooden dowels have become misaligned.